Memories of a Friend
by Johnnygagesgirl
Summary: After Johnny's sudden death in the line of duty, the guys remember some "Johnny moments."


Warning: major character death. Tissue alert. **Bold indicates a flashback. ****indicates a thought**

Roy was numb. That was the only way to describe the way he was feeling right now. His best friend was dead. It was five days after that last shift together. But for Roy, it felt like five years since that fateful day.

**Station 51 had been called to a warehouse fire. There was one victim to search for, a security guard. Roy was the one who had found him, and while heading out the floor collapsed under where Johnny stood. As much as Roy wanted to find his friend, brother, and partner he knew that he had to get the victim out first. When outside, he was calling to Cap, "Cap! Johnny's still inside! The floor collapsed underneath him!" Roy was almost crying then, but he needed to remain professional.**

Roy was startled out of his thoughts by Cap's gentle voice, "How are you doing Roy?" That was all Roy needed to let the tears start falling again. "Why Cap why? Why did it have to be Johnny? He was so young. He was only twenty-seven," Roy was practically blubbering to his captain. But Hank understood why. His paramedics had been so close that they were brothers. Roy's kids called him "Uncle Johnny." "I don't know Roy why it had to be Johnny. All I can say is that it was his time to go," Hank tried to remain strong for Roy, for his crew, but he was hurting just as much as the rest of them. His whole crew were like sons to him, but Johnny was especially so.

**Cap was at odds. He wanted to send some men in to get his junior paramedic out, but he knew he couldn't risk the lives of any more firemen. "Kelly, Lopez. How much farther until this fire is out?" He barked into the HT. Johnny needed to be found fast in case any of his injuries were life threatening. "About five more minutes Cap," it was the voice of Chet Kelly the answered him over the HT. If they found Johnny soon, he still might have a chance. **

Chet was the next one to enter Cap's living room. He was just as numb as Roy was. His pigeon was gone. He should of told Johnny how he really felt earlier, when he had a chance. He internally kicked himself for the water bomb that had given Johnny latrine duty his last shift. How could he have been so mean? Cap wanted all of his crew to meet at his house after the funeral. The guys needed some time alone to grieve for their fallen brother. Roy's house wouldn't work because of his kids. So Emily decided to stay with Joanne for a little bit to give the men some time to grieve.

**Chet could hear the urgency in Cap's voice when he asked for the update on the fire, but he didn't know why until he heard Cap's next command, "Kelly, Lopez. You are now on search and rescue. Gage is missing. Desoto says that he went down in the northeast corner of the warehouse." Chet immediately turned off the house, the followed Marco into the building to help find Johnny.**

"Ayudar a mis amigos a través de este difícil momento, si Dios quiere. Todas estamos perjudicando tanto. (Help my friends through this difficult time, please God. We are hurting so much.) Marco often times switched to Spanish when he got upset. He couldn't help it really, one of his good friends was gone. **The station isn't going to be the same without Johnny.**

**Marco was the one to find Johnny after about an hour of searching. A cheer had gone up from the group of firemen when he had been found, but that was only for a short moment. A paramedic from 36 went to check him out. The look on his face and the slight shake of the head was all he needed to get his point across. Johnny was dead. Tears started rolling down his face as he tried to keep his voice steady to talk into the HT, "Firefighter down is a Code F." Everyone who had been searching held lift his body into the stokes so he could be carried outside. Chet, Marco, and two linemen from 36 were the ones that carried the stokes outside. **

Mike Stoker was the last to arrive. Entering the living room, he was his brothers gathered around the couch. Tears were falling from each face. He sat down close to Cap, and joined in with the grieving for Johnny.

**Mike though Cap was going to collapse when Marco said Johnny was dead. He was in disbelief himself. Johnny had to be okay. He was always okay. But this wasn't true this time. Mike watched from the engine as Johnny's body was carried outside, the loaded into the coroner's van.**

The sat with each other for a while, not saying a word. It was Chet that broke the silence, "Do you think he suffered?" "No, the coroner said that he died on impact," Roy softly answered. He had known something was up when the guys, Brackett, Early, and Dixie all joined him in the lounge.

"**Marco, drive the squad into Rampart. Mike you follow him with the engine," Cap could hardly speak. It was always hard to lose someone from your crew, but it was especially hard when the person was as young as Johnny was. The ride to Rampart was silent, no one dared to say anything. Mike parked the engine in the parking lot out of the way, then followed the rest of his crew inside.**

**Brackett, Early, and Dixie were waiting for them, they had been told of the tragedy. The group stepped into the lounge where Roy was waiting for news about Johnny. Roy knew immediately what the news was, Johnny didn't make it. Tears started flowing down his face, which were joined by tears from the rest of the group. The group just stood there for a little bit until Dr. Early broke spoke, "We better be getting back to work." **

**The funeral has been earlier that day. The church was packed with people honoring the brave fireman who gave his life for his job. Mike had driven Johnny's casket on top of Big Red past Station 51 to the gravesite. It would be Johnny's last ride.**

It was then Marco who broke the silence, "Hey guys do you remember that call where Johnny got tackled by that Saint Bernard?"


End file.
